Györ overcome trouble to secure Group Matches berth
Györi Audi ETO KC’s 30:21 win against Glassverket in the deciding match for the Qualification Tournament looks more secure than it actually was.
Glassverket were leading until into the second half, before Györ managed to decide the matter.
SERCODAK Dalfsen took third place through a clear win against WHC Racnicki Kragujevac.
Women’s EHF Champions League Qualification Tournament
GROUP 1
Third place match:
WHC Radnicki Kragujevac (SRB) vs SERCODAK Dalfsen (NED) 17:23 (8:11)
Dalfsen are ready take on Vistal Gdynia in Round 3 of the Cup Winners’ Cup after defeating Kragujevac by six goals in the first match in Drammenshallen Sunday afternoon.
However, it took the Dutch champions some time to overcome the Serbian title holders.
The first half was equal with Kragujevac leading by one goal several times, and only towards half-time did Dalfsen manage to create a three-goal lead.
Kragujevac managed to come back at the beginning of the second half, and six minutes and 20 seconds after the break, the score was even again at 12:12.
Only when Dalfsen coach Peter Portengen pushed his defence a bit more forward did the Dutch team manage to disturb their opponents’ attacking play enough to take the lead again.
However, it was only as Dalfsen got their first four-goal lead, at 20:16 with seven minutes left, that they actually manage to create a gap, which made difference.
Still, Peter Portengen was a happy man after the match: “I am satisfied with the way my players played and fought today.
“We proved that we are very strong physically and conditionally, and it also means a lot to us that we managed to win a Champions League match,” the Dalfsen coach said.
Right back Andjela Janjusevic from Kragujevac was top scorer in the match with eight goals, while left back Roos Van Leeuwen hit the back of the net six times for Dalfsen
Like Dalfsen, Kragujevac are continuing their European adventure in the Cup Winners’ Cup which they will enter in Round 2 against Jomi Salerno from Italy.
Final: Györ Audi ETO KC (HUN) vs. Glassverket (NOR) 30:21 (13:15)
For just a while, a sensation was lurking in Drammenshallen.
Just before and right after the break, Glassverket had several three-goal leads, and at that point, the home crowd in the full arena made it impossible to hear the 40-50 otherwise very loud Györ fans.
Still, a concentrated and focused effort in the last 20-25 minutes was enough for Györ to take a substantial win.
The first half was even with Glassverket in the lead most of the time.
In fact, Györ were only leading twice in the first 30 minutes, and on both occasions only by one goal.
Instead, a fighting and tactically well prepared Glassverket team had the initiative and went ahead by three goals at 14:11 and 15:12 before the break and 16:13 at the beginning of the second.
However, Györ’s deeper squad and larger international experience became the deciding factor at the end.
Seven minutes into the second half, Szimonetta Planetta equalised for Györ for the first time making it 17:17.
And after Nycke Groot brought the Hungarian team back into the lead at 19:18 three minutes later, Györ did not look back anymore.
From 19:19 they went to 25:19 and 29:20 before winning by nine goals.
“We got off to a slow start, and our defence as well as our attack did not function particularly well.
“However, we fortunately managed to tighten our focus and take a clear win in the end,” Györ’s Dutch playmaker Nycke Groot told ehfCL.com.
She scored eight goals for her team, while left back Jeannette Kristiansen scored six times for Glassverket.
Györ are now ready for the Women’s EHF Champions League Group Matches, where they will be joining Group C.
Here, their opponents will be FC Midtjylland, HC Vardar and Hypo Niederösterreich.
Glassverket will also continue in Europe, though. The Norwegian team will enter the Cup Winners’ Cup in Round 3, where they will be up against ZORK Jagodina from Serbia.
TEXT: Peter Bruun / bc
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